Improvement in corn-planters



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JAMES B. coNA'rY AND MILTONA GATT, or INDIANAPOLIS; INDIANA.

Letters Patent No. 113,018, dated March 28, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORNFPLANTERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making'pari.' of the same, l

We, JAMES B. CONATY and MILTON. GATT, of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented Ia new and useful Improvement in Oorn-Plauters, of which the followingis a specilication.

Nature and Objects of the Invention.

Our invention relates to an improved adjustment of the pin or tooth upon the main wheel of a corn-plan ter, by which the slide or dropping device iu its `seed-hopper is operated; and

It cnsists in placing the pin or tooth upon a' radial arm, which will admit of revolution upon the hub or axle ofthe wheel independently thereof, but which is` provided with a catch or with a pawl, engaging `a 'ratchet on the main wheel, to control its movement, the'object of our invention being to furnish a cornplete and perfect automatic corn-planter, with which' a eld may be planted withv accuracy without beingirst marked or laid o', and to accomplish this end by providing for an adjustment ot' the pin or tooth by which the dropping 4device isV operated, so that the operator may cause the machine to commence planting at any point which he may select, and thus, in beginning a new row, or in starting anew after passing an obstruction in the course, by a simple movement of the pin,'and without movingl the machine, cause the planting to commence and continue in' exact line with-the hills already planted.

Our invention relates also to an adjustment bothof the'lever actuating the seedldropper or slide and of the pin ortooth by which said lever is operated, for the purpose of determining the intervals betweenI each movement of. the dropping device,and consequently the distancefbetween the plantings of corn in each row.

General Description.

A is the draft-beam.

B B, standards, dropping from a cross-bar upon the under side of its front end. and terminating in sharp or narrow-edge runners C C, which serve to prevent a too deep penetration of the furrow-share, and to support in part the front end of the beam- A.y

l contemplate dividing these standardsB 4B 'transversely, and so connecting the upper and lower portion as that the latter shall move up and down upon the former to permit of an adjustment of their length, the two being confined, when properly adjusted, by-

means of set-screws, bolts, or other devices.

D is a wheel, supporting the rear end. of the beam A, and connected thereto by two arms or standards, E E, in whose lower ends bearings are formed for the ends of the axle of said wheel.

d d, so as to serve as a roller in pressing down the earth u pon the grain when planted.

, F is the share-beam, carrying'the share or point G, by whichl the furrow in which to plant the corn is y opened. p

H H are beams, carrying shares or points I I, of a. peculiar shape, and provided with wings t', fig. 2, which operate to throw back and cover'the furrow opened by the share G, the earth thus thrown back being pressed down by the wheel D.

K is the seedhopper, of any approved form; and

L, its discharge-tube, extending to a point immediately in the rear of the share G.

The seed-hopper is provided with a slide,AM, operating in the usual manner, to open themouth ofthe discharge-tube L.. The slide is actuated in one direction to close the discharge-opening by a spring, N,

and in the other by a rock-lever, O, connected thereto by a suitable connecting-rod or liulr, a.

The journals of the shaft c, from which this lever O projects, are supported in the upper ends of plates p, iig. 2, secured to either sid'e of the rear end ot' thev beam A, over the wheel- D, so as to project above the same.

'1) is a trip-lever, secured upon the projecting end of the rock-shaft c, and whose lower end reaches down below the'rim ofthe wheel D. This lever is slotted longitudinally to receive the end -of the rockshaft c, which, projecting through the slot, is fitted with a nut and washer, by meaiis whereof the leyer is secured thereto. This slot permits thelower end of the lever to be elevated or depressed, or rather lengthened or shortened, at pleasure.

Upon the hub or the axle ofthe wheel D, on theasame side thereofl as said lever P, a loose collar, q, lgs. 2 and 3, isl fitted, forming the hubJof a second wheel, R, Whose rim c is inclosed by the broad projecting rim of the wheel D..

A plate, S, figs. 1, 2, and 3, extends radially from the collar or hub q to the rim r of thev inner wheel R. Thisl plate is slottedlongitudinally, and a slide, t, is

. Iitted t0 move in said slot, and secured at any desired point between the hub and lim by means ot' la setscrew or other suitable device. Apin" or tooth, W,

dg. 1, projects from said'slide far enough to strike the This wheel D is made with a wide rim, provided on either edge with flangesend of the lever P in the revolution of the wheel, as illustrated in g. 1.

Wit'hin the embracing-rim of the outer-wheel D a ratchet, x, is formed, to engage spring-pawls y, secured upon the rim of the inclosedfwheel R, the teeth of the ratchet being so inclined (seeing. 2) asto permit an independent revolution of the wheel R upon the hub of the Wheel`D, as its axis, in the direction of the revolution of the wheel D when the machine is mov. ing forward, but to prevent an independent movement thereof in the opposite direction.

U is a scraping attachment, projecting from the rear end of the beam Adown against the rim of the wheel D, to clear it of dirt which may clog or adhere thereto. p

V is a brush, arranged withinthe hopper in the cusomary manner, to insure a prompt delivery of the see With our machine, thus constructed, the corn placed 1n the hopper will, as -the machine moves forward, be automatically delivered therefrom with regularity at points separated by equal distances. This is accomplished by means of the pin W, on the radial arm or plate of the wheel R, which is made to revolve in unison with the supporting-wheel D by the engagement of the spring-pawls yl y with the ratchet x. This pin W, striking the lower end of the lever P at each revolution of the wheel, trips it, and thereby causes the rockshaft c to vibrate and draw back the seed-slide so that 1t will discharge the `proper number of grains into the seed-tube L. `The intervals between the discharges will. be determined precisely by the circumference of thecircle described by the pin W, which, if enlarged, willcause the pinAW to strike the lever and operate the "slide less frequently, and consequently drop the corn at longer intervals than where the circle is reduced. Hence, by moving the slide by which the pin W is secured to or from the center of the wheel D, the machine may be adjusted to plant the corn in hills at any distance apart which. the farmer may desire. The'slot in the lever P permits it to be adjusted in length to meet the pin W, as seen in fig. 1.

When the machine is in motion the corn will he dropped therefrom at precise and unvarying intervals, but when, because of any obstruction in the course,

' or other cause, its regular forward movementis intel'- rupted, or when the machine is started in a new row,

it is only necessary, after the dropping-tube L has been placedV in line with the hill planted in the adjathus insure with ease, and Without any previous working or laying oiof the ground, perfect regularity in all the rows in the field. i

Ve contemplate applying our invention to all forms of corn-planters having a carrying or supporting-wheeL Instead of using an entire wheel, R, to carry the pin W, as described, this pin may be arranged, sub stantally as described, upon a single radial arm, revolving about the hub or axis of the wheel D, and secured thereto at pleasure by a detachable fastening or catch, for the purpose herein set forth. y

Two or more of our Imachines may be placed and worked side by side in a ield, in which' case it is advantageous to unite them by rigid connecting-beams.

Cla/imc.

We claim as our invention-- 1. A tooth or pin, revolving independently about the hub or axis of a wheel supporting the beam of a4 corn-planter, in combination with a lever operating the dropping device in the hopper thereof', when the revolution of said radial arm is controlled or arrested, substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereil'n set forth.

2. The tooth or pin W, upon a slide workingin a slot i`n the radial arm S, lin combination with said arm, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination of the adjustable slotted lever P with the end of the axis cof the lever O operating theseed-slidm and with the adjustable tooth or pill W, revolving about the hub of the suppo1-ting-wlicel D, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

- J. B. CONATY.

MILTON GATT.

Witnesses as to J. B. OONATY:

DAvID A. BURR, E. A. DICK.

Witnesses as to MmroN GATT:

Crus. Fisnnn, Winsox GATT. 

